Necessary Rite of Passage
by NikkiNine
Summary: AU Jacket one-shot. Juliet's reaction to Jack's spur of the moment decision to visit a Barber Shop.


**A/N - This is an AU fic, taking place in the Flash Sideways Timeline. I've always been a Jack/Juliet shipper (no offense to Suliet or Jate fans), but after the finale I've been bordeline obsessed with this pairing. This was intended to be a quick drabble as I was just practicing with word prompts (this one was "haircut"), but it obviously turned into something more. More than anything, I've been relly interested in how thier life together was before what was shown on screen, so writing little vignettes like these brings it to life a bit for me. ****Also, I know made Julian a little older than I he's supposed to be, it just fit better with the story this way. ****I hope you all enjoy!**

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Juliet was a wreck. She'd been at Rachel's for most of the day relaxing, but Jack called about an hour ago and she'd been on edge for every minute since.

"Jules seriously, it's not that big a deal," Rachel said trying to hold back a gut-busting laugh.

"Not that big a deal! Need I remind you that you cried the first time you went through this!" She was pacing over the carpet now, causing her sister to finally give up trying.

"Yeah, but crying's normal, you're hysterical." Juliet stopped in her tracks.

"Hysterical? Rach, he *lied* to me. He went behind my back, and deliberately did what I told him not to do. How would you feel?"

"Would you listen to yourself? Of course he lied, the last time he tried to do it, you bolted out the door and threatened his life if he went through with it. Oh, and you were crying too by the way." She stuck her tongue out after the last comment. Juliet rolled her eyes and went back to pacing.

The living room was soon filled with the brightness of what was sure to be her husband's car. "I'm gonna kill him," Juliet said starting towards the front door. Rachel jumped up from the couch and grabbed her arm, "No, you're not. Just sit down before you make more than just you upset."

Hearing the footsteps at the door, she left her sister to sit while she unlocked it, and was greeted by the smiling face of her seven-year-old son, Julian.

"Hey mom, hey Aunt Juliet, look what Uncle Jack got me!" The boy ran past his mother into the arms of his favorite (and only) aunt. "Nice to see you too son," She feigned rejection as her brother-in-law walked through the door.

"How mad is she?" Jack was half joking, half not. Juliet suddenly appeared behind Rachel, "How mad am I? How mad do you think I should be Jack? You lied, you said you were going to the Zoo-"

"But Auntie Jules we _did_ go to the Zoo, then we went to the Barber Sh-"

"Julian! Look Jules..." he cut in, but before he could finish, she took over again. "Yeah, I know honey, that's why Uncle Jack's in trouble...and you," She said pointing to Jack,"I'd rather you didn't talk right now."

"Jules..."

"Stop with the 'Jules', ok? Hand him to me," she motioned towards the sleeping three-year-old in Jack's arms. She was on the verge of tears as she saw for the first time in years, her son without his long dark hair. She moved towards the couch, as Jack stood still in the hallway looking genuinely sorry for something he thought genuinely necessary.

Sitting with David in her arms, she carefully ran her hand over his newly shorn hair. It felt strange, foreign almost. His hair was so beautiful before, hair like Jack's. And he'd been trying to convince her for months that it would be a good idea to cut it before he started pre-school in the fall, but she'd protested every time. She guessed he figured it would never get done unless he did it on a whim, a precalculated whim, as with all things Jack, but a whim at her expense nonetheless.

David stirred at the touch of his mother's hand, and looked up at her. She was crying. "What's wrong Mommy?" Unable to control them anymore, she shook her head and broke into a tearful sob, "Your hair's gone baby, it's all gone, and mommy really, really liked your hair." She held him close again, still crying, while Jack looked at his shoes trying to not laugh. Rachel was still rolling her eyes.

Confused by his mother's abnormal behavior, David turned and put a hand on her cheek, "Not all gone, see Mommy?" he said grabbing at the inch or so of hair left on his head.

"I know, but it's not long anymore either sweetie."

"Daddy say I look like a big boy now." He was very proud of this.

"Your daddy's an idiot." She didn't mean to say it out loud, at least in front of David, but she did and soon the toddler had a frown on his face and small tears welling up in his eyes. "You doesn't like it Mom?", he sniffled and turned to Jack, "She doesn't like me now!" That hit Juliet like a ton of bricks.

She'd spent the entire time since Jack called and told her he was taking their son to get a haircut either mad at Jack or sad for herself. She never thought about how David felt about it. To her it meant her baby was growing into a little boy, and she'd always regarded that as a sad thing. For David, it meant the same thing, but it was something good. Something to be proud of. Still being three however, he still needed to know that his Mommy loved him the same, and his tears were proof that he wasn't so convinced that this was the case.

She turned her son around on her lap so that he was facing her completely. "David, look at Mommy," she told him, calming herself down mentally, "I will like you - love you - whether your hair is short, long, bald, green or grey..."

"But why you crying?" he still was unsure. She had to laugh a little. Her son was a very observant child, and her sugary sweet words of comfort made no logical sense to him when paired with a red, tear soaked face and insults thrown at his father.

"Oh, you got me smarty pants," she said kissing his cheek, "but it's not _you_ that Mommy doesn't like...I just have to get used to your new hair, that's all."

Trying once more to convince his mother that his haircut was a good thing, David asked again, "You like my hair now?" Juliet stared deeply into her son's eyes that so matched her own, and then turned to the man that he'd inherited pretty much everything else from. With nearly the same hair style now, she smiled at how much her handsome son looked almost identical to her handsome husband, who was looking with adoring pride at the tiny copy of himself that they'd brought into the world.

He then turned to his wife with pleading eyes, and at that moment she knew she wouldn't be lying when she told David, "Yes, baby, I like it. And Daddy's right, you do look like a big boy now. A very handsome, adorable, kissable big boy." She kissed his cheek again and tickled him until he fell back laughing.

"Ok, can I play with Judien now?"

"It's Julian!" Julian yelled from the top of the stairs, waiting impatienlty for his younger playmate to join him.

"You know what he meant!" Rachel yelled back up to him. She stood up and took her nephew from her sister's arms, "Come on baby, let's see what your cousin's getting into." Before she left the room, she mouthed, "apologize," to Juliet as she nodded in Jack's direction.

Juliet sighed and nodded, and Jack tried again to hide his smile as Rachel walked past carrying David. They were alone together now, and the last thing they could hear before Rachel closed Julian's door to give them privacy was an annoyed, "How many times do I have to tell you not to eavesdrop on adult conversations?"

Jack laughed, walking over to sit next to her, "How long do you think we have until we start going through that?"

She sighed, "Not too long apparently. I mean it's official now, he's not a baby anymore." She was looking at her hands, on the verge of more tears, and Jack put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. He kissed her hair and whispered into it, "I'm sorry Jules."

She shook her head and looked up at him, "No, no I'm sorry. I overreacted and I lashed out at you, and I'm sorry. It was a stupid reason to be so upset, and I'm sorry"

"Juliet?"

"What?"

"Stop apologizing," he laughed, "I knew you'd come around eventually anyway."

"Oh really? So you've got me all figured out huh Dr. Shephard?"

"I sure do, Mrs. Dr. Shephard. And c'mon, admit it, it's a pretty cool cut. All the coolest guys are wearing it that way now days," he said running his hand over his own hair.

"Something's wrong with you," Juliet laughed, "but, yes, I will admit it's pretty cool. You done good Jack."

"So does that mean I'm not an idiot anymore?" he said moving closer to her face.

"No. You're still an idiot, but I love you just the same," she said kissing him softly on the lips.


End file.
